Well over a decade ago, I read Michael Gerbers' famous book, 'The E-Myth.'  I am the daughter of two entrepreneurs and an entrepreneur myself.  I have lived through the 'technician syndrome' that Gerber described in which vast amounts of energy are siphoned from the entrepreneur who must run their business on a daily basis and subsequently becomes a slave to the work rather than the inspiration driving the company.

So, when the idea of making a business 'Idiot Proof' was introduced during a professional real estate seminar, I was eager to embrace the method.  The process involved systematizing a business by breaking each action/segment into small, clearly defined steps.  The BENEFITS: a precisely written manual which ensured that anyone could replicate the same results every single time with the aim of creating a consistent consumer experience.

To illustrate the point, the presenter used the example of the methods that fast food companies have perfected through their training systems to ensure that your burger is pretty much the same anywhere you get it.  If you've ever worked in a fast food joint, you know that every single item that impacts the business is detailed in the manuals. 

The system is fully automated with cookware that tells you when the fries are done and guides you through the process of making every menu item.  Most workers are hired to do one little segment of the work and not much else.  Even the cash registers are coded with pictures to make sure that the right order is processed and the correct change returned.  The RESULT: workers who know a few details very well, but may be largely ignorant when it comes to understanding how the operation works. 

The problem with this type of system is that it thrives primarily within a stable environment.  An environment in which the delivery truck can be expected to arrive at the scheduled time carrying the necessary supplies.  The system requires tremendous amounts of coordination and performs with supreme efficiency when that order is present.  However if there is inadequate staffing or the supply chain breaks down, the system becomes vulnerable.  Ultimately the problem with this type of system is that LIFE IS UNSTABLE. 

In the real estate industry, we have created our own versions of Idiot Proof systems.  In a sense our Forms and transaction management systems have allowed many of us to facilitate millions of real estate transactions with efficiency and speed.  These systems have also made it possible for anyone off the street to enter our profession with a mere 40 hours of training and then sit down with a client to list a Million dollar home. The agent simply needs to know how to fill in the blanks.  

However, just like the fast food industry, the real estate system of transaction management may be inherently vulnerable precisely because it requires certain 'anticipated conditions' to operate efficiently.  When the stability of those conditions is threatened or upset entirely, as we are currently witnessing in the mortgage crisis, the entire house of cards is in peril, not unlike the perilous times in which we currently live.

Perilous times require creative, innovative individuals who possess the critical thinking skills to make intelligent assessments and respond to unforeseen and unexpected circumstances. 

Idiot Proof Mechanisms are guaranteed to fail in perilous times, because the conditions necessary to support them are wobbling or have crumbled entirely. The hidden gift of perilous times is that we are given a fresh opportunity to re-evaluate the true effectiveness of systems we have used without questioning.

So, I'm in the process of dis-assembly.  Although we still use and appreciate our board supplied real estate forms, our agents are being challenged to not rely on forms to do the critical thinking.  Agents are required to think through solutions and to be ready to explain WHY they think the options they are suggesting merit consideration.  The days of using systems without thinking about what you're doing are numbered  OVER, because fewer real estate transactions are falling into easily defined categories!

Today's real estate transaction involves, amongst a host of other critical skill sets,  having the negotiation skills and patience to see a Short Sale through to the end.  Being a competent agent means having the ability to utilize the Internet to create important professional networks and prospect for future business.  Today's agent needs to understand what is happening in the financial world and be informed about the developments in ancillary services like the inspection and title industry.  In my opinion, the days of 'cookie cutter' real estate are over...if they ever truly existed in the first place. 

Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Picture of french fries courtesy of wEnDalicious photo-stream on flickr

Paradigms power perceptions and perceptions power emotions." 

Quote from Sarayu to Mackenzie in the book, "The Shack."

What's the color of anger when you're color blind and can't see red?  When it comes to emotional heat, each of us experiences the full spectrum of color in a myriad of different ways. 

Emotions arise out of our pre-disposed patterns of thinking and perceiving an event, person or situation.  Often these perceptions are so deeply held that we are startled by the response they generate when they emerge in living color.

A few weeks ago, there was a knock on my door.  When I opened the door, two young men stared at me...then burst out laughing.  I stared at them quizzically, although I had a fair estimate of why they were giggling uncontrollably.  Finally, one of them was able to collect himself and extend his hand.  He said, "Excuse me m'am, we didn't expect..." 

I understood what he was trying to blurt out between giggles.  He, a young African American man, knocking on doors in my neighborhood had not expected to see a face that looked like his own answering the door bell. The emotional rush created by his paradigm about 'who should live where' literally overwhelmed him when his perceptions of the reality facing him proved to be false!

Paradigms and perceptions are not regular topics of discussion in most real estate circles, but in many ways, they are a huge dynamic within our engagement in the profession of buying and selling property.  They impact how we handle transactions, respond to stress and treat other people.

I'll never forget a story I heard during a class on Fair Housing about a farmer who walked into a real estate office, with his farm clothes on, and requested the assistance of a real estate professional. Because he was in dirty clothes, most of the agents in the office didn't want to help him.  Well, the one who did ended up making a hefty commission. The farmer with the dirty clothes turned out to be a wealthy business man who bought a pretty good sized piece of property! 

Well, what is a paradigm exactly?  According to Wikepedia, a 'paradigm is a philosophic or theoretical framework of any kind.'  We all operate within paradigms.  These are the under-girders which support how we look at the world and frame our judgments.  Paradigms support our worldviews and provide the context in which we make our decisions.  They help us to discern what we think 'belongs' in any given space.

But, hidden within the familiar confines of a paradigm is an incipient danger.  It is the danger of misperception. You see, paradigms are simply philosophies and theories...they're not necessarily true or correct.  Yet, they can control how we think and are pre-disposed to respond even when the facts don't necessarily add up. 

Paradigms are costly because they influence who we are and how we react in ways that may not be obvious to the uninformed observer.  They also serve as the base foundation for just about every negative 'ism' you can think of...racism, sexism, communism etc. 

Our emotional responses can reveal a goldmine of information if we're willing to be honest.  When we respond to someone or something, it's helpful to take a moment to reflect on what perception colored the exchange and what the underlying paradigm which supports a potential misperception might be.  The power to change lies within unleashing the hidden charges which underlie negative paradigms so our perceptions become aids to our progress rather than hindering it. 

 Copyright 2008  Audu Real Estate  All Rights Reserved

Picture courtesy of brani's photostream on flickr